Infrastructure and Organisational Development: A Regional Approach to Health Promotion

Abstract

This paper describes existing health promotion systems in Victoria and explains how infrastructure can be strengthened to influence the delivery of local health promotion action. The Victorian State Government has invested in regional support to facilitate the development and coordination of health promotion at a local level. To achieve this the Regional Infrastructure for Improving Health Promotion (RIIHP) model was developed, providing a framework for strategic action. The model draws upon organisational change theory and capacity building methods to highlight the necessary infrastructure for sustainable health promotion efforts. Forty five local health promotion practitioners, managers, academics, and Department program advisers were interviewed and asked what they thought supported or influenced health promotion. The responses from interviews were combined to develop the RIIHP model. The RIIHP model provides a framework for planning infrastructure improvements. This model is relevant to agencies, regions and state departments who want to succeed in establishing coordinated and effective health promotion systems.